I have an appointment with Parent Partnership Services

[HoneyBare]

Not sure if this is in the right topic,so sorry if it isn't.
Like the title says i have an appointment tomorrow with parent partnership services.For some reason i have suddenly started to worry about it.What if they think i'm just making it up about DD3, and they think there isn't any thing wrong?
What should i take if anything?

[ShadeofViolet]

What is the meeting for Honey?

[HoneyBare]

It would have been a good idea to add that wouldn't it?sorry
DD3 is having problems with reading and spelling.I think she is dyslexic.She is 10.7 and as a reading age of 6.7 and spelling 6.5.

[IndigoBell]

PP were helpful with me when I talked to them about my daughters dyslexia. They told me that school should have her assessed by the SpLD team.

You're doing exactly the right thing. A child of 10.7 with a reading age has SEN. Parent Partnership are there to help parents negotiate the SEN minefield.

However, I didn't find the SpLD team at all helpful, but that's a topic for another day...

Can I really really recommend though that you get your daughters eyes tested by a behaviour optometrist because a regular optician doesn't test for very much. I only last week found out that my DD does have an underlying vision problem which we never realised.

[HoneyBare]

Thank you for that IndigoBell.
Do you know if you have to get a referral or can i just make an appointment?

[Mreid]

I am having the same problem with my daughter.I had a Parent Partnership Officer come to me and to be honest (my personal experience) I didn't feel that they are impartial. When she visited me I showed her an iep that I had and she asked me if this was her first and that I should hace signed it. She said that it must be the first one because if she had any previous ones they would be stapled together. After she spoke to school senco I found out that my daughter had been on them since Reception (now in YR 4), even though I have only starting to find out about these things. Senco told PPO that she didn't feel it was necessary to have another meeting when I felt I should. I felt she was a different person from the visit to the phone call after speaking to school.I felt she took the senco's words as gospel. Really she is here to help us parents that need advice and so on. I hope you have more joy with your PPO.

[IndigoBell]

Honey - you just make an appointment, but they will charge. The one we went to cost £75 for an hour assessment - and then £20 for the glasses it turned out my DD needed.

Plus we are also doing vision therapy which will cost about £200.

However, her vision turns out to be a huge reason whey she can't learn to read, so we are very happy to pay this money.

Maybe you can get referred and go for free? I don't know. But if you can afford it it will certainly be less stressful just paying for it yourself.

To clarify: the PP may or may not be any good. But they will be able to inform you about what the school should be doing, for example does your LEA have a SpLD team, is it free to the school etc......

[HoneyBare]

To be honest no we can't afford it really, but will pay if we have to.We would do anything to help her.She is in her last year at primary school,so i feel we can't let her struggle any longer.

Mreid sorry to hear you didn't have a good meeting with PP.Did she speck to your school SENCO after your meeting?

I just want to go to the meeting with PP tomorrow all prepared.I have got a copy of her accessment and i have asked the school for a copy of her IEP.

[Mreid]

Yes Honey, She was brill at home but seem to change after talking to senco. I didn't get a chance for meeting as senco felt it wasn't necessary. I'm not saying all PPO's are like that, it was just my experience. I am getting advice from IPSEA now. I have feelings that my daughter is dyslexic too. Going into school Friday to look at all my daughter's records. Mainly to find out what levels she as been at over the past years and any info regarding what senco has written about her. Because she as 9 iep's and we was not told about any and so never got the chance to have any input towards them. Hope meeting goes well keep us posted. By the way , the best advice you will get is on here.

[IndigoBell]

Maybe ring up the behaviour optometerist closest to you and find out a) how much they charge and b) can you get referred to them.

There may be nothing wrong with your DDs vision. I just know that 2 opticians saw my DD and said there was nothing wrong with her vision, whereas the behaviour optometerist found lots wrong.

Too early to say if the glasses and vision therapy are helping - but I'm very optimistc.

[signandsay]

Just wanted to say our PP was fanatstic, know others have had very different experiences, but the one we had was supportive, well inforfmed, and willing to cross swords with the school no probs.

Could have hugged her!

Really Hoping yours is good too.

[HoneyBare]

Thanks signandsay.
The meeting at 2.30 today.I think to start with i just want to know what extra help DD should be having.
On her IEP it says she should read to teacher twice aweek.In the last 8 weeks she has read at school 5 times.

[IndigoBell]

Read with teacher twice a week! For a 10 year old who is 4 years behind!

They are really shortchanging your DD. This is totally unacceptable.

My DD is 2 years behind and gets:

• 1 hour small group literacy every day
  
• 10 mins 1:1 with a TA every day
  

Plus, the SpLD team observed her and are helping the school with ideas for how to help her.